Amazing how perception of who’s online, who’s blogging and who’s using social media lags far behind the reality. If you’re a marketer, are you still thinking about social media, including blogs and social networks, as channels to reach a young audience? Think again. A few touchpoints:

• 56% of those ages 65 – 69 are now online
• 45% of those 70 – 74 are using the Internet

That’s according to stats from eMarketer: Online Generation Gap Narrows. Some of eMarketer’s numbers come from a new Pew Internet Project report: Generations Online in 2009. Not surprisingly, researching health information online is a preferred activity of seniors.

Here’s another stat I love:

• 44% of YouTube’s users are ages 45 – 55+

Chart is from a nifty July 2008 PDF that YouTube published.

Food for thought if you’re thinking about how to reach your target audience this year.

Useful Links

Who’s Online and What Are They Doing There? (ReadWriteWeb – Jan. 30, 2009)

Geoff Livingston’s round-up of latest market research (Feb. 4, 2009)

Facebook vs. Linkedin – chart shows that those ages 55 – 65+ are using both (July 22, 2008)